Railway-door latch



Patented Aug. 2, 1921. y

UNITED. STATES JOHN O. NEIKIRK, LOF LOMBARD, 'JILLIN'OJQS ASSIG-NOR TO RAILWAY AP- 'Parnu-r orne-E.

Errance co., or romano,offrit), lA' oonro'RATIoN.'

RAILWAY-Doon LATCH Applcationrled rApril 4 19,23. Serial No. 629,794.

This invention relates to improvementsin railway door latches, and has for its object ,the production of a latch suitable for use in .latching and rlocking doors 'of cars which are arranged to ibeopened so as to -unload the car through the .bottonior the sidesof the car.

0f the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a vfragmental elevation of the lower portion of a `gondola car with latches ,appliedv thereto whichembody the features of my invention; F ig. 2 is anv enlarged elevation of one of the latches; Fig. 3 isa sectional view along the 'line3=- of Fig. l; Fig. 4qis aV sectional View alongthe `line 4-4 ofFigQ; Figz is a sectional AView along the line 5-.5 of Fig. 2;

andv F 6 isa reduced elevation of one of the latches,,when-partly closed.

In this instance, as a preferred form Aof the application of my invention, l have shown a latch applied to a'duinp car v10 for the purpose of holding ,closed 1 the door 1:1. The door is hinged to the car -by means of `hinges `12`f`1xed to one of the center sills of the car in any suitable manner. Beams 14 extend l across the bottom 'of thedoor, and thelatches 15 are suitably fixed to the ,side of the car `for the purpose of holding the beams 14, and 4hence the door, in 'place when the door'is closed;l The Alatch and :locking ineanscomprise a hook 16 pivoted to the side of the car at the point 17, and a lock 18 pivoted at the point 19 and adapted to be "turned downwardly to hold the hook in place under the flange of the beam' 14 when the door is locked.

'In va general way the latch and locking means are similar tosuch means now in use, but my invention yconsists in the specific arrangement'and shape of the various parts used; and it is to be understood that the latch maybe kused with doors in the bottom of gondola'or hopper cars or Yother similar'car's, or for dump trucks, withoutany particular reference to just Where the door is located.

'l have found that in the operation of latches for this purpose it is frequently difficult to entirelyl close the door even when Athe car is empty, and particularly when a 4portion onlyT yof the `material' has been dumped, and to assistin this and at the same tiine to'hold the door firmly` closed and to avoid any undue wear or tendency to Ibreak the latch, l provide a latch so shaped and suspende'dthat it may be used to force the doerfciiised and so that it will alsofirmly and V.suitably support the beam 14 when the door isvclosed By the fuse ofthe beam 14a large flat surfaceflis provided and a corresponding surface 22 ,becomes thefsupporting and wearing 'surface of .the hook; When the `hook is in the closedposition, as indicated, these ,two surfaces being entirely in Contact there is much less ywearing ofthe parts',tlian is ithe casetwhen smaller surfaces are Iincon- .tact. At the same timev it -is desirableto have thehool so formedand suspended that the -toe 23 will ypass under theledge 24ofthe flange, as indicated in Figz, vbefore the door isentirely closedso that byforcing the hook ,towards the locking Aposition the door will ,be forced therebyr't'o the closed position, the surgface 22 acting as a cam on the 1'flange-surface flo ,accomplish ythis I snspend :the hook by the ,pivot 17 sothataperpendicular 25 therefromto the kextension of the surface .22 willstrile the extension, as indicated, outsideof the snzrface'. That is'the Eliool'ris` suspended ata point toene sideofa perpendictr lar to its hearingsurface. As. ya'consequence vofthis arrangement `all .pointshof .the surface 22 will v`pass vaway from .the surface 21 as soon as the latchtismoved,from itsclosed position, but I.the .outer pointswill pass away more rapidly, and all points willcoinefirnily in contact with the surfacewhen the hookis in its closed position. '.Hence, in closlngithe door .,t'heledlge 24 of thesurfaoe `21 will bear on ,the cam surface; 22 Ysofas' yto gradually take the stress Ofi 'frein the to@ 23 VOfi-the ,hOOkaS the pressure-mythe hoolr increases, andvwhen Ythe door is `substain;ially closed the frdovvnward force'is on .theinner `portionof` the hook instead ,of on the toe ,23. L

However,` l do Enot; wish ,to conlinelimyself to surfaces 21 and v22which are' .exactly parallel with the edge of thedoor, as lsubstantially xthe `same.,result could lbe arrived at if thevsurface were inclined somewhat one. way oir-the other. y a. e,

lnasmuch, as the ,hookv 16 must support a very considerable weight, AI lhave so provided ythe. supporting-means as to amply support ,the ghook'* and also to Aprevent binding 'thereof, and to allow `convenient lassemblilngY of ther'device.l lFor this `,purpose liprovide -bosses ,or trunnions 2 6r proj ecting' ,from and integra-l With ,the .hoolr 16,.,the 'inner boss being supported inA ,the awood 4,27 ,and on `the sdebeam 28Y ,of thecarfand .the outer' buss ,fpassnginto ,an ,opening @inthe bracket 20.

I thus providemeans whereby `the hook is amply supported and eliminate the tendency `of dirt or other materials to lodge in the device and -workinto the bearings of the support so as to prevent relative rotation ofthe parts; and 1n case 1t 1s desired to replace any `member of the device the hook and bracket y may be very easilyseparated or assembled.

This arrangement also materially increases the strength ofthesupportmg' portion of the hookas no pivot "openingnlr 1s required. Also Jthe beam 28 maybe narrower as the trunnion rests on the beam while a rivet support would need to pass through the beam.

" The bracket may be supported at the side ofthe car in any suitable manner such as by means of an offset flange 30 havinga `rivet 3l connectingitto the side of the car.

Atthe same time a rivet 32 is provided for the support of the bracket and for Vthe pivot of the locking means 18. This rivet 32 is adapted to pass through the hub 38 of the bracket1 the hub 34 of the locking means `and the beam 28 fixed tothe side of the car.

`"I`helocl`r18 in a verygeneral way is similar to locks now 1n use. It 1s formed so as toforce the hook `in place as the lock is forcedginto the locking position. But, as `such locks areordinarily formed, there is a tendency forthe lockto gradually work out 'of place* owing to the pressure of the latch on the cam surface 86 of the lock. To pre- 'vent this tendency Iform the cam Vsurface 86 so that its centers of curvature lie somewhat below the center ofthe rivet or pivot 32. `As`a consequence the upper portions of the cam surface are closer to the pivot than `the lower portions and the tendency of the pressure "of the latch 16 on the surfaceV 36 is to force the lock downwardly instead of upwardly. Thus the lockforces the hook into the latching'position whether the lock is forced upwardly or downwardly from a certain position I then provide a stop to Aprevent the lock frommoving downwardly toofarx Any suitablestopping means may y be provided. I referfor the purpose a boss `37 fixed to the ook 18 and so positioned as terweight on 'the lock also tends to pre- `vent its becoming unlocked.` V

Inorder to hold the lock 18 initsfopen Vposition I provide on the lock a stop 39 which comes in contact with the shoulder'40 on the bracket when the lock is turned backwardly to relea'sexthe' latch. y In order to `strengthen `the device andjprovide free space for the lock so as to prevent any tendency ofthe lock 18 to bind on its pivot, I provide f -aboss 4l integral with the hub 33'0f the llatchinpg position.

manner vthe `bar `and stud 45 may be used-for forcing the hook out and junlatclnng `the bracket, and this boss forms the pivot for the hub 34 of the lock, andA the inner end vof the boss resting against the beam 28 prevents blndlng of the lock when the rivet y `is `riveted 1n position.

`I Ialso provide suitable means to assist in latclriingand unlatching the door. 'I prefer for this purpose a stud 45 lined to and projecting outwardly from the lower portion of the hook. This stud may be Vused as a hanldle forfforcinn' the hook when latchinor or unlatchingl the door, or itinay be used as a fulcrum of a lever for the same purpose.

VIf a bar 46 isplaced in the position shown in Fig. by `pressingl downwardly on the outer end of the bar. not only will the door jbe` forced upwardly into its closedV position,

but also theliook` will be forced into its In a somewhat `similar door. VThis is illustrated in Fig. l. By rest ingthe bar 46 against the end of the beam I4 as a fulcrurn the latch may be forced open by means of thestud 45. E It is to be understood however thatother ways of using the stud and other means `than the stud maybe provided. y

In some cases, particularly where one latch only is usedon a door, there is sometimes a` tendency for the door with the beam 14 to be forced away from the latch and thus to allow the door to open. To prevent this I provide a finger or stop 48 which is iixedto Aor integral withthe bracket 20. Vhen the door is closed the end of the beam 14 is prevented by this stop from moving away from the hook, and the slanting surface 49 guides the beam to the proper position `as the door is being closed. 1

I claim as my invention: a i y l. In a railway car a hook for holding a doorin its closed position, acam for locking said hook in its holdingposition, and stops' fixed to said cam for limiting the movement of said camin its locking and its unlockingmovement. v

9..'In a'railway cara vhook 'for holding a door in its-closed position, a Acam for locking said hook in its holding position, said cam having stops for limiting itsmovenfient in its locking' and its unlocking position, and a weight fixed to said cam for holding it .in its locked position.

3. In a railway car a door prising `a bracket, means integral with said bracket for holding the door against lateral movement, and hook pivotally supported bysaid bracket for holding the door closed.

`4. In a :railway car a door, forming a portion of the `bottom of the car, a door latch comprising abraclret, `a hook pivotally supported by said car for holding said door closed, and a stop fixed to said bracket to prevent horizontal movementof said door.-

latch comfbracket in a predetermined fixed relation to said bracket.

6. A door latch for railway cars c0Inprising a door latch bracket, a latch mounted therein, and a door stop cast integral with said bracket in a predetermined fixed relation to said latch.

7.,In a railway car, a door and a door latch, said latch comprising a bracket, a hook supported by said bracket and a cam for locking said hook, and co-acting stop members for limiting the travel of the lock in its locking and unlocking movement, said members being fixed respectively to said bracket and to said lock. v

8. A door latch comprising a bracket adapted to be fixed to a door frame, door holding means movably fixed to said bracketl and adapted to pass under a port-ion of a door associated with said frame, a stop fixed to said bracket for preventing movement of said door portion away from said means, and other means for forcing said holding means towards said stop; whereby said door may be heldclosed and prevented from Inov-` ing away from said holding means.

9. A door latch comprising a bracket, a door stop fixed to said bracket, a second stop movably mounted on said bracket; door holding mea-ns movably mounted on said bracket between said stops, said three elements being substantially in the same plane, and said second stop when in one position being materially nearer said door stop than when in another position, and means for` preventing'movement of said second stop, when in its nearer posit-ion, awa-y from said door stop. v

10. In a railway car, a hook for holding a door closed, and a cam forlocking said hook in its holding position, said cam being arranged to force said hook toward its holding position when said cam is being moved to its unlocked position.

11. In ak railway car a pivotally supported latch for holding the door closed, a cam coacting with said latch to lock it in its closed position, said cam being formed to Lmove said latch toward the holding position Y when the vcam .is rotated to lock or unlock said latch.

Vl2. The combination of a door, a frame surrounding said door, amovable latch for holding the door closed, and a cam co-acting with said latch to lock it in its closed position, said cam being arranged to move the said latch towards its holding positionwhen the said cam is operated to unlock said latch.

13. A door latch comprising a bracket adapted to be fixed to a door frame, door holding means movably associated with said bracket and adapted to engage a portion of a door associated with said frame, a stop fixed to said bracket for preventing movement of said door portion away from said means, and other means for forcing said holding means towards said stop, whereby said door Amay be held closed andl prevented from rmoving awayfrom said holding means.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

JOHN O. NEIKIRK. 

